Improved life-preserving buoy



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PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER EVANS VOODS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED LIFE-PRESERVING BUOY.

Speciicaton forming part of Letters Patent No. 25,781, dated October 11,1859.

To aZl whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, OLIVER EvANs WOODS, of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedLifeBuoy; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure l represents a side elevation ot' my life-buoy expanded and readyfor use. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the saine when compressed.

Similar letters of reference in the three views indicate correspondingparts.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and make and usemy invent-ion, I will proceed to describe its construction andoperation.

A A are two frames, made of wood and in a rectangular form strong enoughin proportion to the size of the buoy and according to the weight andpressure which they are expected to sustain. These frames are coveredand united by some iiexible air and water 'tight material B, such asindia-rubber cloth,

which is secured to the sides of the frames by means of sheet-metalstrips C, which are firmly fastened to the frames by a large number oftacks or screws a, so that the whole forms a perfectly air and watertight box. The two frames are kept apart by means of stays D, which aresecured to the frames A A by means of pivots b c, and which are hingedtogether in the center by means of a pivote', so that the frames can becompressed and the stays assume a position, as clearly represented inFig. 3, or that they can be turned up at right angles with the sides ofthe frame, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2. Both the frames arestrengthened by crossbraces E, which are secured between the frames andflush with their upper edges, and one or more of these braces areperforated with holes e, which extend through the indiarubber covering Band which are covered up by valves F. One of these valves is represented in section in Fig. 2, and it consists of a screw f with a largeround head g, which is turned in on its under side, and secured to theunder side of the brace E is a metal bar h, which forms the nut for thescrew f. When this screw is screwed down tight, the opening e isperfectly closed.

Secured to the brace E is a handle G, whereby the buoy can be raised andcarried from place to place, and which when the box is not used can beturned down on the surface of the same.

The operation is as follows: Then my lifebuoy is to be used and inliatedthrough the agency of gravity, then let the upper frame be sustained,and upon opening the valve E the subjacent frame immediately descendsand the air rushing into and through the valve-opening inlates the buoy.The valve F is now closed and the air within prevented escaping. Whenthe buoy is to be inflated through the mechanical agency of the stays,then open the valve F as before, and simultaneously with making thestays rigid the two frames will be separated and the air rushing throughthe valve-opening will ll the buoy. The valve should now be closed; buteven when not closed, if the stays are used the device will still inmost cases remain a very efficient buoy. NVhen the stays are used, theyreceive and sustain the pressure, to which in their absence the sides ofthe buoy would be subjected. By compressing the sides and closing thevalve F the soundness of the material may be tested. If sound, then thepressure of the atmosphere will cause the device to remain compressedeven when sustained by the upper frame only but when thus sustained, ifthe device is out of order air will enter through the crevices and thetwo frames separating willpoint out that some imperfection exists; but,I repeat, a serious puncture may be made in the material and the devicestill remain an efficient buoy, pro vided the stays are used.

Buoys constructed on the foregoing principle can be used with greatadvantage to save life in individual cases by being attached to andforming part of portmanteaus, hat-boxes, dre. rFhey can likewise be madeon a scale sufficiently large to form pontons for bridges, and even tosustain ships. It will be noticed that a buoy constructed according tomy principle requires no blowing up in order to inflate it. My buoy isiniiated through the much greater pressure than other devices for thesame purpose. v

The top and bottom of my improvement being composed of rigid plates, itsform is always preserved and the elastic parts are protected frominjury. An ordinary life-preserver could not, like my in iproven'ient`be lashed to trunks, chairs, tables, spars, rafts, and the' like,because the cords would soon chat'e or cut through or burst the same;nor

could a life-preserving trunk be used for such purposes as the strain ofthe cords and ropes would separatethe cover or hinged top and destroythe air-supporting Vessel.

My improvement may be readily attached to any of the aforesaid articles,either by means of cords passed through the handles or bound around thebuoy. Y

For use in case. of shipwreck my improvement forms a powerful andreliable float, less subject to injury than' the ordinary cloth orpliable life-preservers.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent as a newarticle ot manufacture, is-

A buoy arranged with two frames A A', stays D, and cross-braces E, andwith avalve or valves F, and otherwise constructed and operated asherein described.

OLIVER EVANS WOODS. Witnesses:

WM. P. HIBBIRD, LoUIs GoDBoU.

